Make this fast and easy homemade French bread pizza recipe. Toasted French bread topped with garlic butter, pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni, that is baked to cheesy perfection!
If you love pizza, try the classic Margherita Flatbread Pizza or the Viral Pizza Toast.
FRENCH BREAD PIZZA
Craving pizza but don’t want to do all the work? Make this easy French bread pizza! This pizza recipe is just like the popular frozen pizza boats that we all grew up eating but homemade. French Bread coated in a delicious garlic butter then topped with all the pizza toppings and baked until cheesy, the ultimate pizza hack! This French bread pizza makes for a great lunch, dinner or even appetizer.
WHAT YOU NEED-
- Bread– This recipe calls for French bread! You can use a large French bread loaf or the small sub ones to make smaller pizzas. I typically get my French bread from the Walmart bakery section. Be sure to get an unsliced bread loaf.
- Garlic Butter– Adding garlic butter to the bread definitely elevates this pizza! For the garlic bread you want to use softened unsalted butter, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, freshly minced garlic and freshly chopped greens. Adding fresh herbs to the butter is optional.
- Marinara Sauce– Use your favorite classic marinara sauce or pizza sauce for this recipe.
- Cheese– For the best results, I recommend that you use shredded mozzarella cheese or the shredded pizza blend. Any other shredded cheese will also work.
- Pepperoni– Either mini, regular or chopped pepperoni can be used for this pizza! You can use classic or turkey pepperoni.
HOW TO MAKE FRENCH BREAD PIZZA
This pizza recipe comes together so easily and in no time!
- Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the garlic butter spread.
- Cut the French bread in half, lengthwise.
- Place both bread pieces onto the lined baking sheet. Spread the garlic butter mixture onto the bread, evenly divide between both slices.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and top with marinara sauce, shredded cheese and then pepperoni. (Evenly divide the ingredients among both slices of bread.)
- Add it back to the oven and bake until the bread is crispy and the cheese has melted.
- Top with parmesan cheese and freshly chopped greens, slice and enjoy.
SERVING IDEAS
Pair this French Bread pizza with the right sides for a delicious and easy lunch or dinner!
- Olive Garden Salad
- Greek Salad
- Pickles
- Classic Garden Salad
Dip this homemade French bread pizza into warm marinara sauce or Wingstop Ranch for added flavors!
TOPPING IDEAS
You don’t have to just limit this pizza to just a plain pepperoni pizza. You can have fun with your toppings, just like when ordering pizza! Here are some delicious topping ideas:
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Olives
- Banana Peppers
- Bacon
- Ground Beef
- Hot Honey Drizzle
- Ham
PIZZA VARIATIONS
Make this homemade French bread pizza a specialty pizza! Here are some delicious and popular pizza flavored ideas:
- Classic– You can’t say no to a classic pepperoni and cheese pizza!
- Supreme– If you love all the meats and veggies, make this a supreme pizza. Add olives, meat, onion and peppers for the topping.
- Alfredo– Swap the classic marinara sauce for canned or homemade Alfredo sauce and load with cheese and chicken. This is one of my favorite ways to make French bread pizza.
- Buffalo Chicken– If you like spicy, make a buffalo chicken French bread pizza. Swap the classic pizza sauce with Frank’s Buffalo hot sauce and load it with chicken and cheese.
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:
No! You can totally leave the pizza cheese pizza or add sliced tomatoes for a margherita style.
Yes, you do not want to skip this step. This helps you get a slight crisp on the bread already, which helps you from getting soggy pizza bread.
If you don’t want to add garlic, you can brush the bread with some olive oil and toast. But the garlic butter adds so much more flavor to this French bread pizza.
Bake the bread with the garlic butter, then cool the bread. Assemble the pizza and store it in the fridge or freezer until ready to bake. Make ahead up to 1-2 days and store it in the fridge, until ready to bake.
Once the pizza is cooled, cover and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Yes! Add the cooled French bread (whole or sliced) onto a parchment paper and freeze until hard. Transfer to a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat the pizza in the oven, microwave or air fryer until warmed through. This is the same for frozen leftovers, just add some more time to allow it to thaw and reheat.
Homemade French Bread Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 french bread loaf
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce or pizza sauce
- 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup pepperoni
Garlic Butter-
- 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter 1 stick
- 2 fresh garlic clove minced
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 Tbsp freshly chopped greens cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, add softened butter, minced garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and fresh greens. Mix until well combined.
- Cut the French bread in half, lengthwise.
- Place both bread pieces onto the lined baking sheet, with the inside of the bread upright. With a spatula or butter knife, spread the garlic butter mixture onto the bread, evenly divide the garlic butter between both slices.
- Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and spread marinara sauce over the bread. Top with shredded cheese and your choice of toppings. (Evenly divide the ingredients among both slices of bread.)
- Bake again at 425°F for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and bread is toasted. (Be careful not to burn the bread.)
- Top with parmesan cheese and freshly chopped greens, slice and enjoy.
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